Bell Ringers For Big Sales

Wilson Laboratories Inc., in Orange, Calif., has taken a page from Pavlov. Whenever the $5-million manufacturer of computer-peripheral test equipment receives an order worth $1,000 or more, its sales department rings a brass ship's bell. Smaller orders are heralded with a hotel-clerk's bell. Because Wilson is located in small building, employees in the company's other departments can hear salespeople literally ring up their sales.

"The bells spark a sense of excitement and community," says director of marketing Michael Kestigian. "Last month, when a $400,000 order came in, we rang the ship's bell like crazy. We even put it on the PA system."